An appeal to the British Government to support the international treaty for putting a ban on “cluster bombs”, which kill people, especially civilians: it was made yesterday by the auxiliary bishop of Birmingham, William Kenney, in a letter he signed along with other Catholic bishops and leaders of the Methodist and Baptist churches and representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities. “The pain caused to civilians by these weapons during and after conflicts – said mgr. Kenney – has been documented for some time and is escalating. These weapons kill or injure civilians during the attacks, and their effects last years because of the lethal contamination they cause”. Mgr. Kenney, who is also the spokesman of the British bishops for European issues, asked the English Government to show “its clear commitment to protecting civilians during conflicts. Every action will be welcome as a deed of peace of people of all confessions”.
